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Toddlers and Tax Refunds
5 Ways to Invest in Your Toddler with Your Tax Refund
By Becky Lane
Everyone knows that childhood obesity is an American epidemic. So why not do something to avoid it from the start? Take your refund and buy playground equipment for the backyard. There's an endless variety. Home improvement stores offer several choices of do-it-yourself play equipment, with options like swings, slides and rock-climbing walls. There's also the traditional metal-framed swing sets.
And don't forget safety features when planning your tot's fitness haven. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends at least 9 inches of mulch, wood chips or shredded rubber under play equipment and spread out to 6 feet in all directions.
Another investment option is an inflatable bouncer for optimum physical activity. These are large, inflatable gyms made of puncture-resistant fabric with protective walls and sometimes a slide. Amy and Troy Doverspike of Erie, Pa., bought one for their toddler son, and it provides a fun, safe energy release, both in their basement during cold, snowy months, and outdoors in warmer weather.
Some larger items you might want to avoid for toddlers are trampolines or pools. The CPSC advises against trampolines for kids under the age of 6. And the organization says backyard pools, especially the large inflatable ones, are particularly dangerous for toddlers, who are often attracted to water.
For the family with a smaller return or one simply looking for another option, take your tax refund and sign your tot up for swimming lessons, mom and me gymnastics or some other kind of class that emhasizes physical movement.
